1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to analyzers such as a particle size distribution analyzer and more particularly, an apparatus and method of cataloging test data with visual symbols.
2. Description of Related Art
In searching plural analysis files for a desired file in an analyzer (such as a particle size distribution analyzer), it is a common practice for the operator of the analyzer to retrieve the desired file by referencing the name and date of the file. However, if the operator forgets the name and date of the desired file, the operator must check whether or not each of the plural analysis files is the desired one by opening the files one by one by way of the application. Moreover, in analyzers of this type it is likely that a very large number of files have been created in a disorderly manner due to frequent measurement without being classified or sorted out. In such a case retrieval of a desired file is very difficult.
In attempt to overcome such difficulty, an invention has been made as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-163666. According to this invention, graphs are displayed in a catalogued fashion with their sizes reduced in order to facilitate analysis file retrieval. Actually, however, the file retrieval is not very easy because the analysis files generally may include similar graphs. Further, there exists a problem in that it is difficult for an inexperienced engineer to identify each of the graphs displayed in a catalogued fashion with a corresponding file at a glance even when the graphs are not similar to each other.
Also, it is conceivable that measurements on the same subject under different conditions may provide graphs that are similar in form to each other as the outcomes of the measurements. In such a case, catalogued display of graphs cannot allow the operator to identify each of the graphs with a corresponding file and, hence, identification of a desired file need be made from the file name and date of the desired file as in the same manner as currently used. It follows that if the operator forgets the name and date of a desired file, the operator must check whether or not each one of a plurality of files is the desired one by opening the files one by one.
The invention disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-163666 requires an application program dedicated to the purpose of displaying graphs in a catalogued fashion. Therefore, such an inconvenience also exists in that a computer not installed with such an application program cannot retrieve a desired file.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the prior art to provide an analyzer system which is capable of retrieving a desired analysis data file quickly without starting up and enabling an entire application computer program.